


Lavender

by IreneSpring



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: (also sort of), (sort of), A take on the "FBI agent goes to small town to investigate murder" show, Alternate Universe - Career, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Barisi Genres and Tropes Challenge, Crime, Developing Relationship, FBI Agent!Olivia, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluffy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Librarian!Rafael, M/M, Morally Complicated Decisions, Murder Mystery, My apologies to the state of Missouri, Slow Burn, Small Towns, background Cabenson, baker!Sonny, very loosely based on "Goodbye Earl" by The Chicks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-20
Packaged: 2021-03-22 17:28:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30042216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IreneSpring/pseuds/IreneSpring
Summary: Rafael leaves New York, seeking a new start after leaving his abusive partner. He finds a new job as the public librarian in Lavender, Missouri. Unexpectedly, he finds himself adapting well to the town, in no small part due to his friendship with the local baker, Sonny Carisi.However, when Rafael's ex-boyfriend comes to Lavender, he ends up dead. In order to appease his family, the FBI sends Agent Olivia Benson to investigate. She expects it to be an open-and-closed case, but can't possibly know the lengths that Sonny will go to in order to protect Rafael.
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr.
Comments: 13
Kudos: 19
Collections: Barisi Genres & Tropes Challenge





	1. Looking for a bright new world

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my second entry to the Barisi genres and tropes challenge! This one combines the crime genre with the fake relationship trope. 
> 
> A couple notes: firstly, you will have to suspend your disbelief in terms of how these cases are investigated for this story. It should be pretty consistent with shows in the genre, but still. Secondly, Lavender is a made-up town. I looked to see if there is a Lavender, Missouri and didn't find anything. Any similarity to a real town is a coincidence. 
> 
> There's been one person who has been very kind in their comments on my previous stories and has also requested a story that includes Rafael's ex-boyfriend, who has been mentioned in some other stories. I stand by my statement that I'm not comfortable writing him as a character, but I think this is a good compromise.

_ Rafael sighs as he seals his last box. Rita had called him crazy. His mother had yelled at him for abandoning his family.  _

_ “You’re running away,” she had said. “You shouldn’t be the one running away. I never ran away.” But Rafael doesn’t think about it like that. He doesn’t think he’s ever been happy in New York: an alarming conclusion for someone who has never lived anywhere else long term. Hopefully, Missouri will be different. Because things can’t get any worse. _

_ “It’s full of Republicans,” Rita had said. “You’re a gay, Latino Democrat. You’re going to be completely alone.” _

_ “That sounds ideal right now,” he had shot back, since they’d been arguing for half an hour. _

_ But both the conversations had ended the same way. They had wished him well and told him they loved him, but if he ever looked around himself and realized he was in  _ Missouri _ , he was welcome to stay with them.  _

_ It meant a lot, but he’s still going. He needs a hard reset on his life. And he thinks that Lavender, Missouri, is as good a spot as any. _

“Benson, the boss wants to see you,” John tells Olivia, before she even has the time to sit down. 

“What did I do?”  
“I don’t know. You’re just expected in his office.”

“Fine.” Olivia hasn’t exactly gotten along well with her coworkers, but it’s still early. She just needs to impress them, and this isn’t the first time she’s been in this situation. She just got the transfer out of the NYPD to the local FBI field office though, so she definitely needs to not screw up.

“Agent Benson, you look rested,” Cragen tells her when she arrives at his office.

“I’m told four hours really helps my complexion,” she deadpans. “John said you wanted to see me, what’s up?”

“I have your first out-of-state assignment.”

“Really?” She tries not to show how thrilled she is. A big job, right out the gate. This is the best she could have hoped for.

“Don’t get too excited,” Cragen tells her. “You’re headed to Lavender, Missouri.”

“Missouri.”

“Yes. A body showed up in a local lake about a week ago and was just identified in the last 48 hours. Frederick Wilson, 39, white, 6’2”.”

“Why is this our case?”

“Let me finish. Mr. Wilson was a real estate developer in significant debt. This winner also has one past arrest and corresponding active restraining order for domestic violence against his long-time boyfriend.”

“Okay, now I definitely want to know why this is our case.”

“His family’s got connections, and the local cops are pulling the ‘it couldn’t happen in Lavender’ routine. The governor doesn’t want to get into a fight, so we’re sending you.”

“To investigate the dead abuser.”

“Yes. Have fun.”

Olivia sighs. Alex had told her not to take this job.  _ It’ll just be more of the same _ , she had said. She really should have just listened to her girlfriend.

_ Sonny Carisi has made it his personal mission to know everyone in Lavender. He runs the only bakery in town, and as such, he knows most people’s birthdays, tastes, and marital statuses. He greets people on the street whenever he runs into him, and loves the genuine responses. Which is why he’s so surprised --and excited-- when a new person shows up in his bakery. _

_ “I’ll have a large coffee, what kinds do you have? I don’t see them on the menu.” the new person says. Sonny’s excitement increases impossibly further because the stranger is gorgeous. Dark hair, green eyes, tanned skin, plus a very nice voice-- he really is the whole package. Sonny briefly considers writing his number on the styrofoam cup he hands the man. _

_ “That’ll be $1.99. The machine’s over there. I don’t know what the settings are.” _

_ “The machine?” _

_ “Yeah, it’s over there.” _

_ “You don’t make it?” the man asks. Sonny bites back a retort about how this is a bakery, not a Starbucks, but he decides to give the new person the benefit of the doubt. _

_ “I’m guessing you’re not from here?” _

_ “Is it that obvious?” _

_ “Yes.” _

_ “I’m from New York City.” _

_ “Me too! Well, Staten Island.” The man scoffs, but there’s no real bite in it, so Sonny laughs. “I’m Dominick Carisi, Jr., but everyone calls me Sonny. I obviously run the bakery.” _

_ “Uh, I’m Rafael Barba. People call me Barba, but I’m guessing that won’t go over too well here, so you can call me Rafael. I’m the new librarian.” _

_ “That’s awesome. I was psyched when we got to the library. Maybe I’ll see you around.” _

_ “Sure.” Rafael hands him five dollars. “Keep the change.” Sonny beams, and before he can talk himself out of it, he takes a cupcake from inside the case. _

_ “Here,” he says, handing it to Rafael. “On the house.” _

_ “I can’t take this.” _

_ “You can and you will. And hey, maybe you’ll let me borrow a book for free.” _

_ “All library books are-” Rafael starts before noticing Sonny’s amused smile. “Oh.” _

_ “See you later, Rafael.” _

“I forgot how normal-sized buildings look,” Olivia says, driving her rental car through town with Alex on speaker phone.

“Either that or the buildings are just small,” Alex says through the phone and Olivia laughs.

“True enough.”

“Have you found the hotel yet?”

“It must be somewhere. There’s not exactly a lot of places it could be hiding.”

“I have every confidence in your navigation abilities.”

“Yeah right.” Olivia turns a corner and her eyes fall on a little shop with a sign that reads  _ Carisi’s _ . In the window were a variety of cakes and pastries and Olivia’s stomach growled. “Hold on, babe, I think I see a bakery and I haven’t eaten all day.”

“Alright then, see you later.”

“Love you.”

“Love you too.” Olivia hears the phone click off and easily finds parking. The door of Carisi’s has a little bell attached that chimes when she enters, and she’s immediately greeted by a tall, smiling man with blue eyes.

“Welcome to Carisi’s. What would you like?”

“Um, I’ll take a large coffee and a chocolate croissant.”

“Alright, that’ll be $7.98,” the man says, and hands Olivia a large styrofoam cup. “The machine’s over there.”

“The machine?” Olivia asks. The man laughs.

“Let me guess, you’re from New York City?”

“How’d you know?”

“My boyfriend’s also from there and asked me the exact same question. Rafael, say hi!” the man calls, and a shorter man sitting at a table waves an awkward hello. Olivia waves back with a small smile. She recognizes him from one of the pictures, not to mention the name Rafael sounds familiar.

“You’re right. I’m from Manhattan.”

“I’m Sonny Carisi, I’m from Staten Island, Rafael’s from the Bronx. We should get together some time, welcome the new person and everything, how long are you in town for?”

“I don’t know,” Olivia says with a shrug. “I’m from the FBI, we’re looking into a murder.” Sonny’s brow furrows.

“A murder?”

“Do you know anyone named Frederick Wilson?”

“No. And I know everybody.”

“Okay, well, anything helps.”

“I’ll keep you in mind.” Olivia pays for her food and leaves. When she returns to her car, she pulls out one of her files. Rafael looked and sounded familiar. She finds the answer in the basic information she’d drawn up about the supposed victim. The man who took out a restraining order against Frederick Wilson was named Rafael Barba.

Olivia sighs and leans her head against the back of her seat. This was going to be annoying.


	2. Looked all around this town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rafael begins to enjoy life in Lavender and deepen his friendship with Sonny. 
> 
> Olivia preforms her first interview.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all your kind words on the first chapter of this fic! It means a lot, especially since I've never written an AU exactly like this before.

_ Rafael comes back to the bakery perhaps more than he needs too. After all, there are places with better coffee and he’s been trying to cut back on sugar. Still, more days than not he finds himself remaining at the bakery until Sonny decides to close.  _

_ Rafael knows it’s because Sonny is really the only friend he’s managed to make. His conversation style is a bit cutting, even for New York, and most of the people just stare at him whenever he attempts a joke. Sonny, meanwhile, seems delighted every time Rafael mocks his ‘overly simplistic decorating style.’ Rafael tries to ignore, or at least downplay, how much he appreciates how happy Sonny looks every time he shows up. _

_ Sonny also finds his way to the library with strange frequency. He’s picked up the irritating habit of selecting random books and quizzing Rafael about them. He bursts into laughter every time Rafael glares and informs him that he has not, in fact, read every single book in the library, and  _ especially  _ not  _ Liberation: The Beginning _ , which Rafael has heard is either about lesbian vampires or strange magical BDSM. _

_ Beyond Sonny, even, Rafael is growing to appreciate Lavender. There was certainly an advantage to New York’s size, the main one being that no one ever knew or cared what was going on with him. But as cliche as it sounds, with Lavender comes a sense of community. People trust each other. Rafael had raised his eyebrows practically to the stratosphere when Sonny had casually informed him that most people keep their doors unlocked. And even though Sonny’s the only close friend he’s made, people are kind to him. When the sink in the tiny house he’s rented breaks, Sonny’s friend Amanda sends over her friend Declan to fix it, and when Rafael tries to pay him, he just shrugs and walks off. Sonny later informs him about the whole sordid history between Declan and Amanda, which is apparently common knowledge to everyone except Rafael. At least it’s interesting.  _

_ He even participates in community events, something he never could have imagined doing before. When the high school organizes a bake sale to help pay the medical bills of one of the teachers --Mr. Dodds or “Mr. Mike” as his students call him-- Sonny insists he can just bake Rafael’s contribution. Rafael refuses, and instead spends hours on FaceTime with his abuelita until he has something he wouldn’t feel bad about people paying money for. _

_ Rafael agrees when Sonny says you learn about people through your job. He could make personalized book recommendations for many of his frequent visitors. He likes that. He feels connected to everything. Safe. When Rafael gives her a cursory tour of the town through video chat, Rita mocks everything she can find. Rafael feels bizarrely defensive and retorts angrily.  _

_ He likes it here. It’s his home now. _

_ Rita just shrugs and says a variation of ‘to each their own’ and leaves Rafael to deal with his small epiphany. _

“Hello, ma’am, my name is Agent Olivia Benson, I’m with the FBI,” Olivia says, showing the young blonde woman who answers the door her badge.

“Good for you,” the woman says, and moves to shut the door. Olivia blocks it with her hand.

“I’d really appreciate it if you could answer some questions.”

“Is this about the lake body?” 

“Yes.”

“Am I a suspect?”

“We don’t have any suspects yet, I just got here.”

“I don’t know anybody in town who would have done that.”

“Great, could you maybe say that to my voice recorder and formally?” Olivia asks, raising her eyebrows pleadingly. No one has cooperated so far. The woman sighs.

“Fine. I need to pick up my kid from daycare in two hours so you better be out of here by then.”

“It’ll take half that time, I promise.”

“Okay.” The woman beckons Olivia inside and Olivia follows eagerly. The house is small, but nicely decorated, with children’s toys scattered everywhere. 

“How old’s your daughter?” Olivia asks.

“She’ll be three next month. Her name’s Jessie.”

“That’s nice.”

“I know.” When they arrive at the wooden dining table, Olivia pulls out a chair and sits down, the woman sitting across from her.

“Is it okay if I record this?”

“Sure.” Olivia clicks the button on the tape recorder and smiles, doing her best to look conversational.

“What’s your name?”

“Amanda Rollins.”

“And what do you do, Ms. Rollins?”

“I run the hardware store.”

“How did you know about the ‘lake body’ as you described it?”

“My friend Nick works for the police. He told me.” Olivia inwardly curses the local cops. She had specifically said that no one should tell anyone anything.

“Do you know anyone by the name of Frederick Wilson?”

“Is that the dead guy?”

“Do you or don’t you?”

“I don’t know any Frederick.”

“Okay. Do you know anyone named Rafael Barba?”

“Yeah. Everyone knows him, he’s lived here for like three years.”

“What does he do?”

“He’s the librarian.”

“What do you think of him?”

“He’s a bit snarky, but Jessie loves every book he’s recommended, so I like him fine.”

“How long have he and Sonny Carisi been dating?” Olivia asks. The body had been wearing a large coat and been wrapped in a tarp, and within the waterproof pockets of the coat was a relatively undamaged note and what looked like a gift watch. Suggesting a romantic motivation. Which would obviously point to Barba. Unless he had no clue about anything to do with Frederick.

“They’re dating? That little shit…” Amanda mutters to herself.

“Who?”

“Sonny! We tell each other everything! Fuck, I told him about Declan when that happened, and he didn’t bother to tell me he and Rafael hooked up? I’m happy for them though, they’ve been giving each other doe eyes for years.”

The rest of the interview is pretty standard, and Olivia doubts she’ll be able to use it. Amanda didn’t know Frederick and doesn’t have any suspicions towards anyone except some guy by the name of Lomatin who thinks he’s the mayor. 

At this point, she’s starting to doubt anyone in the town had anything to do with the murder, though it’s possbile she just thinks that because her subconscious wants her to get out of Missouri as fast as possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise next chapter will actually include what happened to Frederick. I just felt I needed to build Sonny and Rafael's relationship more before really starting in on that.
> 
> Also, fun fact, Liberation: The Beginning, is a real book. I still don't know what it's about, but both of the things Rafael has heard are things I have heard.


	3. Walked right through that restraining order

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fatal accident throws Rafael's life into chaos, and he looks to Sonny for help.
> 
> Olivia interviews Sonny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! The chapter where things finally happen! Related comment: poor Rafael. Yes I am aware that I wrote this and could have spared him this pain. I am a malevolent god of this story universe.

_ Sonny is just starting to get ready for bed when he hears knocking on his door. _

_ “Who is it?” he calls. _

_ “Rafael Barba. From the library. I’ve been to your bakery. Please open the door. Please.” Sonny instantly abandons what he was doing and rushes towards Rafael’s voice. Quickly unlocking the door and swinging it open, he barely has time to look at Rafael before he darts inside, shaking. _

_ “Raf? Everything okay?” _

_ “I didn’t mean to. I didn’t mean to do it. I promise I didn’t. I just wanted him to leave. I promise.” _

_ “Rafael. What’s going on?” _

_ “He wouldn’t leave me alone. He wouldn’t leave. I told him no so he punched me so I shoved him, and there was so much blood…” Sonny manages to look at Rafael properly for the first time since he entered. His clothes are a mess, it looks like he’s had a bloody nose, and the bruise from a black eye is already starting to form. His hands and sleeves are covered in red. Red that must be blood.  _

_ “Rafael, what happened?” _

_ “I just told you!” _

_ “Who stopped you?” _

_ “Frederick. I don’t know how he’s out of prison. He should be in prison! Fuck…” _

_ “Who?” _

_ “My ex-boyfriend. Frederick. Vicious bastard. I left him. I moved here. He must be out of prison, and the restraining order. I should have fucking listened to Rita. She  _ told  _ me that when he got out of prison he would have my address because of the fucking restraining order. I should have just left.” Rafael starts to hyperventilate and Sonny immediately walks up to him. _

_ “It’s gonna be okay.” _

_ “No, it won’t. They’re going to put me in prison. Second degree murder. Or third degree. Or something else? Dammit, I should have listened to Mami and just gone to law school…” _

_ “Rafael, that’s not going to happen.” _

_ “How do you know? I thought nothing was going to happen. I thought I was safe. But I wasn’t safe. Sonny, I didn’t mean to… I had to… He was going to kill me…” _

_ “That’s self defense, right?” _

_ “His family’s rich. They’ll pressure people. I’ll spend the rest of my life in prison. Missouri has the death penalty. Fuck, Missouri has the death penalty…” Sonny can’t listen to this anymore. The thought of Rafael in prison makes him want to vomit his guts out. He has to fix this. He has to find a way to fix this. _

_ “That’s not gonna happen, Raf. I’m not gonna let it. I’m gonna help you.” _

_ “How? I’m really not trying to insult you but how do you think you’ll stop the FBI? They’ll find me, us, whatever…” _

_ “It’s not gonna come to that, okay? Just tell me where you left the body.” _

_ “I saw him when I was heading home from the market. The road was empty. His head hit a rock.” _

_ “He’s still there?” Sonny asks, trying not to sound panicked. At Rafael’s nod he runs a hand over his head. “How’d you get blood on your hands?” _

_ “I wanted to see the wound. I thought I could save him. But by the time I realized how bad it was he was already dead.” _

_ “Your fingerprints are probably on his body. We have to get rid of it.”  _

_ At that, Rafael nearly collapses, his knees giving way until he’s hunched on the floor. Sonny leans down until he’s on his level.  _

_ “Just breathe, okay… In and out…” Sonny rubs circles on Rafael’s back and when he’s sure Rafael won’t pass out, he pulls away.  _

_ “Sonny… what are we going to do?” _

_ “I’ll take care of it,” Sonny says before he can stop himself. _

_ “What?” _

_ “I’ll take care of it. Stones. Lake. Tarp. I know what to do.” _

_ “How?” _

_ “I watch crime shows, documentaries. I almost became a cop. That’s beside the point. I’ll take care of it. You stay here.” Rafael looks like he might object for one moment but then just nods. _

_ “Thank you.” _

_ “Don’t worry about it.” _

_ When Sonny returns to his house, he checks briefly for Rafael. He’s still sitting on his sofa, staring at his hands, his foot bouncing wildly. He looks over at Sonny, his eyes wide. Sonny nods and gives him a shaky thumbs up. Rafael nods back and Sonny immediately heads for the shower.  _

_ Sonny tries not to think about what he just did. How much easier it was than it should have been.  _

_ He should feel guilty. _

_ He’s obstructing justice, committing a crime. Frederick was a real human person, who presumably had people who cared for him. Sonny did something wrong. He sinned. But it doesn’t feel like that. If anything, it feels like the opposite. He’s making sure justice is done. That an innocent man’s life isn’t permanently ruined by an abuser. Didn’t he almost become a cop for that exact reason? _

_ But more than any philosophical argument, what keeps Sonny from torturing himself is the knowledge that Rafael is safe now. Well, safer. And that’s what matters. That’s all that matters. _

_ Sonny tries not to think about why that is. _

_ When he finishes his shower, he dries himself off and throws on sweatpants and a t-shirt, resolving to burn the clothes he wore, just in case. He sits down next to Rafael on the sofa, and after a moment’s hesitation, he puts an arm around Rafael and pulls him into a one-armed hug.  _

_ Rafael doesn’t flinch away, instead he wordlessly leans against Sonny. _

_ “It’s late, you should stay here tonight,” Sonny says. _

_ “Okay.” Sonny feels relieved to hear Rafael’s voice, as empty as it is. _

_ “I’ll get you some blankets.” _

_ “You don’t have to.” _

_ “Yeah, I do. You’re sleeping on my couch.” _

_ “You didn’t have to do any of this,” Rafael continues. “So why did you? I can’t imagine small town hospitality goes this far.” _

_ “It doesn’t,” Sonny confirms. “You’re… I care about you. And you didn’t do anything wrong. So I’m looking out for you.” _

_ “Okay.” Rafael looks like he still doesn’t believe him, and Sonny furrows his brow. _

_ “I mean it,” he insists. “You’re great. A great person. And you shouldn’t go down because of this. Because of him.” Rafael gives him a small smile and accepts the blankets and pillow Sonny offers. _

_ “Will you think I’m a child if I say I’m scared?” Rafael asks. “I know he’s dead, I know that perhaps too well, but I’m still...” Rafael waves his hands, as if the gesture could convey a sentiment he doesn’t quite have the words for. _

_ “Nah, that makes sense. And hey, if you wake up in the middle of the night and are freaking out or something, just wake me up. I mean it.” _

_ “Okay, I will.” _

_ “Good.” With that, Sonny heads to his bedroom and lies down. He turns over and over, trying to find a good position, but sleep just won’t happen. He’s too wired, adrenaline just now starting to leave his system. He lays awake, staring at the ceiling, wondering how things could get so fucked up so fast. It’ll be morning in a few hours. Last morning his biggest concern was whether or not he ordered enough sugar to make it through the week. Now he’s possibly going to jail.  _

_ He’s filled with the sudden and intense urge to check on Rafael. To make sure he’s okay. That he’s still there, on Sonny’s couch, and not on some dark street dealing with a psychopath who wants to hurt him. Sonny walks as quietly as he can into the living room, and is relieved to find Rafael right where he left him. Thinking there might as well be a real point to this, he gets two glasses of water, drinking one and walking over to his coffee table and setting the other in front of Rafael. _

_ “Love you,” he thinks he hears Rafael whisper, half asleep, definitely exhausted. Sonny forces himself not to think anything of it. Rafael is tired, possibly actively dreaming, and even so, he might not have meant anything by it. _

_ Still, Sonny feels a little bit better as he returns to his room. _

“Mr. Carisi, thank you for coming in today. I know you must be busy.”

“Don’t worry about it, Agent Benson. I’m happy to help. And you can call me Sonny.”

“Alright, then feel free to call me Olivia. Is it okay if I record our conversation.”

“Go ahead.”

“Thank you. So you own the bakery, correct?”

“Yep. Have since my great aunt passed away five years ago.”

“I’m sorry for your loss. Have you ever heard of someone named Frederick Wilson?”

“No.”

“Nothing?”

“Promise. I’ve never heard of him in my life.”

“Rafael never said anything?”

“Why would he?”

“Okay.” Olivia’s not sure she buys it, but if Sonny’s lying, he’s a good liar. Or a practiced one. She never could tell which.

“I won’t bother asking you if you know Rafael Barba, so instead I’ll ask you, how long have you been dating?”

“About a year now.”

“And you never told anyone.”

“I did not.”

“Why not?”

“Look, people are nice here and everything, but this is still small town Missouri. I’ve never dated anyone publicly, especially not anyone from town. I didn’t know how they’d react.”

“You wouldn’t even tell Amanda?”

“I love Amanda, but you tell her something, the whole town knows within 24 hours,” Sonny says with a laugh. “She probably would’ve thought everyone was scared of her enough that they wouldn’t say anything, but that’s still not a solution.” Olivia nods. It’s probably nothing but  _ scared  _ and  _ Amanda  _ in the same sentence is something she should follow up on.

“Why would people be scared of Amanda?” she asks. Sonny blinks.

“Just because she can be a hardass, you know? She’s tough. Her sister once told me about how Amanda fought off three would-be bullies single-handedly. It’s an enduring reputation, I guess.”

“So she’s not violent?”

“Of course not.”

“Mr. Carisi, if you don’t mind me asking, where were you on November 12th, 2015?”

“I don’t know, it was a while ago. Probably at home. I’d have to check my old calendars to see if I had anything that day.”

“And what about Rafael?”

“If it was a normal day? Probably at my place too.”

“Okay, I’ll be in touch. Thanks for your help.” 

“No problem. Stop by the bakery, okay? I baked some fresh chocolate croissants just for you.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” Olivia says with a smile.

“It’s exciting when we have new people. Well, most of the time at least…” Sonny says with a wry chuckle. A murder joke. Interesting. Olivia gives him one last smile as he walks out. Rafael rises to greet him, and Olivia notices how casually Sonny swings an arm around his shoulder and presses a kiss to his cheek. In public. Despite the fact that Sonny specifically said they hid their relationship entirely from the public. Even more interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While Rafael did indeed tell Sonny that he loves him, they will still continue to be idiots and not talk about it. Hence the reason there are many more chapters left.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading!


	4. They worked out a plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonny and Rafael make a plan after Frederick's body is discovered.
> 
> Olivia interviews Rafael.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise you, this one explains the fake dating aspect. I didn't forget about it.

_ “What the hell happened to how you knew what to do?” Rafael demands, running a hand through his hair. _

_ “Nick said they don’t have any idea who it is yet,” Sonny says.  _

_ “Yes, but they have DNA testing!” Rafael cries. “Sonny, you were supposed to sink him!” _

_ “I thought I did! I don’t know how this is possible!” _

_ “What are we going to do?” Rafael groans. “I need to leave the country.” _

_ “Okay, it is  _ way  _ early for that.” _

_ “I should do it now, when no one’s looking.” _

_ “Raf, I need you to calm down.” _

_ “Calm down? Sonny, we’re going to  _ prison _. Me because I killed Frederick and you because you helped me, okay? And we’re going for a lot longer than he ever did, let me tell you that.” _

_ “Even if this goes to trial, it was obviously self defense right? You won’t get convicted. Not in a million years.” _

_ “They won’t frame it like that. When Frederick was first on trial for assaulting me, his attorneys constructed an entire narrative about how I was volatile, and obsessed with keeping him, and I was fabricating everything in order to get back at him for leaving me, so if anything  _ I  _ was the abusive one. And it didn’t work, Rita cut through them like a hot knife through butter, but this is a different jury. A different prosecutor. They’ll pull those transcripts. Say that we got back together or something and this time I killed Frederick to stop him from leaving me…”  _

_ “No they fucking won’t,” Sonny says angrily. “I will  _ never  _ let them do that.” _

_ “Sonny, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, truly, but you’re not magic,” Rafael says. “You can’t fix everything.” _

_ “No, I’ll figure this out.” _

_ “Sonny-” _

_ “Give me a minute!” Sonny looks up at Rafael, tears in his eyes, and Rafael stops. It’s not his fault. It really isn’t. It isn’t either of their faults. All Sonny wanted to do was help. Rafael shouldn’t have let him. Rafael shouldn’t have let him get involved. But it was so comforting, having someone on his side.  _

_ “Okay.” Rafael wonders if Sonny has family. In all the time Rafael’s been in Lavender Sonny’s never mentioned them and they’ve never visited him. Will they come out of the woodwork for the trial? Do they even exist? Rafael’s grandmother will cry. His mother will be destroyed. She’ll yell at him to cover it, he knows. ‘You could have been anything,’ she’ll say, ‘you could have been a lawyer, gotten into any school you wanted, done anything, and instead you did this.’ It’s just her way of showing love. _

_ Rafael remembers how he screamed at Sonny just moments ago. Sonny, who was kind and sweet and welcoming from moment one.  _

_ Maybe Rafael is a lot more like his mother than he thought. _

_ “I have something,” Sonny says finally. “It’s gonna sound crazy, but hear me out.” _

_ “It’s not like I have any ideas,” Rafael says, and gestures for Sonny to continue.  _

_ “Okay. So you said that their whole theory will be based on you and Frederick being back together, right?” _

_ “Yes…” _

_ “So what if we said you didn’t?” _

_ “That’s genius,” Rafael deadpans. _

_ “Yeah, yeah. We’d need proof. An alternate theory, right? Someone we could point to and say ‘Rafael wasn’t dating Frederick, he was dating him.’” _

_ “And who in their right mind would join our plot?” _

_ “We wouldn’t need anyone else.” _

_ “I don’t understand.” _

_ “Me. I could do it.” _

_ “What?” _

_ “We say we’re dating. Have been dating, whatever. We spend enough time around each other, people would believe it.” _

_ “Why-” _

_ “It would work,” Sonny insists. “We’re comfortable around each other, we know enough about each other, we get along. You’re handsome, I’m handsome.” Rafael laughs at that and Sonny smiles for the first time. “In all seriousness, I think this would work. It would give the prosecutors yet another thing they would have to build --you leading an entire double life behind the double life we were leading together-- on a very shaky foundation. Rita will kill them, just like she did last time. And I’ll say whatever you need me to say. You can trust me.” _

_ “You’d be lying under oath.” _

_ “Yeah, well I’ve done a lot more illegal things than that during this whole saga, so I think I’ll be fine.” _

_ “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it’s worth a shot.” _

“Mr. Barba, I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me.”

“Listen, before we begin, my friend Rita is a criminal attorney, and she’s always told me to never talk to law enforcement without a lawyer, so I asked her to fly down and she just arrived, so I’d like to have her be present.”

“Of course, that’s your right.” Rafael steps outside for a brief moment and returns with a severe looking woman with brown eyes and a confident smirk.

“You must be Agent Benson,” she says. “Let me guess, you’re new, so they shipped you out to Missouri?”

“Something like that.”

“Yeah, well, Frederick’s father used to be the Governor’s Chief of Staff, so it makes sense. I’ll save you some time, Rafael didn’t do it.”

“Thanks, Ms.-”

“Calhoun. I’m surprised we haven’t crossed paths before.”

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“Whatever.”

“Well, as I was saying, thanks, but Rafael is the only person who knew the victim.” Rita scoffs at the word ‘victim.’ Olivia doesn’t like the guy either, but the fact was that he is dead and the M.E. did say it was not from natural causes.

“Look, Agent Benson, it’s rare in my career that I get the privilege to defend someone who is truly innocent of wrongdoing. This is one of those times.”

“We don’t have a suspect yet.”

“Yeah right.”

“Rafael is here for informal questioning.”

“Uh huh. I’ve heard that one before. You’ve probably got half the county police force watching this right now, and don’t think I didn’t notice that this ‘interview room’ has a one-way mirror.”

“Rafael, how did you know Frederick Wilson?”

“He was my ex-boyfriend. He was abusive. He went to prison but was released early.” Rita glares and Rafael sighs. “It’s not like they didn’t know that already.”

“That is correct, we did know that. Now, Rafael, did you have anything to do with Mr. Wilson’s death?”

“Of course he didn’t,” Rita interjects. Rafael nods.

“Then where were you on November 12th, 2015?”

“Probably with Sonny,” Rafael says. “It’s hard to remember.”

“Sonny is your boyfriend?”  
“You don’t have to answer that,” Rita informs him. “It has nothing to do with her investigation.”

“Sonny and I are dating,” Rafael says. “For a while, now.”

“So you hadn’t heard from Mr. Wilson since when?”

“Since I saw him sentenced. I moved to Lavender a few months after that.”

“He didn’t make contact with you?”

“No. I had a restraining order out against him.”

“Are we done here?” Rita asks. 

“For now,” Olivia sighs. She has nothing. Nothing but a watch and a dilapidated note. No DNA, no fingerprints, nothing she can use to actually hold Rafael, especially with Rita looking like she’s looking for an excuse to sue the FBI. Besides, she still hasn’t figured out if she actually wants to arrest Rafael. She reviewed the court transcripts of his case and there isn’t a doubt in her mind that he was the innocent party and that Frederick hurt him, severely. Olivia is quite content to leave Lavender and let Rafael live a peaceful life with his boyfriend, who by all accounts seems like a good man.

“Good. And for the record, Rafael didn’t kill him, but I’m glad he’s dead,” Rita says. “I wish I did know who did it so I could shake their hand. He deserved a worse fate than he got. So I would recommend that you, Agent Benson, really consider what justice would look like in this instance.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now, finally, we get to the trope of the story. Thanks for sticking with me.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> This story is already completed, so I am very certain that I'll be able to update every other day.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading!


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